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销声匿迹 (xiāo shēng nì jì) — (idiom) to disappear from public view, to go into hiding, to lie low

Definition

Idiom meaning 'to vanish without a trace' — a person, company, or thing suddenly stops being seen or heard. Implies deliberate disappearance or fading away, stronger than simply 'disappearing'.

idiom
to disappear from public viewto go into hidingto lie low

Examples

  • 销声匿迹。
    Nà ge zuì fàn yǐ jīng xiāo shēng nì jì hěn duō nián le.
    That criminal has been lying low for many years.
  • 销声匿迹，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī tū rán xiāo shēng nì jì, méi yǒu rén zhī dào yuán yīn.
    This company suddenly disappeared from the scene; no one knows why.
  • ，销声匿迹。
    Zì cóng nà cì shì jiàn hòu, tā jiù xiāo shēng nì jì le.
    After that incident, he went into hiding.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 銷; 销 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào銷xiāo
Same sound today

The traditional form 銷 pairs 金 (metal) with 肖 as a sound part; simplified 销 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not historical components.

Open 销 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
匸匸xìto conceal
Sound part声符shēngfú
若
若ruò匿nì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

匿 pairs 匸, meaning to conceal, with 若, which gives the sound.

Open 匿 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì迹jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

迹 pairs 辶, a movement part, with 亦, a sound part; an older form used 朿.

Open 迹 →
Appears in
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